Bird park welcomes new blue crane arrivals
Squiggles is the first blue crane chick the park has had since 2006. Since his birth last year, the park's mating pair has also given birth to little hatchlings.
HE has a penchant for shiny objects and buttons, and his natural curiosity has made Squiggles, the blue crane a hit with the staff and visitors at the Umgeni River Bird Park. The young crane is only two months old and can be seen regularly walking the length and breath of the park with his carer, Tarryn Bristow.
Grant Aggett-Cox (education and marketing manager at the park) said Squiggles is the first blue crane chick the park has had since 2006. Since his birth last year, the park’s mating pair has also given birth to little hatchlings.
“Squiggles is our miraculous story as his nest was almost destroyed with the heavy storms in October last year. The crane enclosure is close to the cliff face of uMgeni Park and a rock fell and several trees broke off the cliff face one night and landed inches away from the nest. We had to pull the egg out and put him in an incubator and two weeks later, he was born.
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“So far his idiosyncrasies have begun to show. He really is the most curious bird ever. He likes to wander around, Tarryn takes him around on daily basis to exercise his long legs which is essential. I would love to have him as part of the bird show but we are undecided as yet. Being the national bird of South Africa, he would be fantastic to help create awareness on the species as they have been negatively affected by loss of habitat,” he said.
